


Scorching Summer Heat (at Christmastime)

by gorgxoxus



Category: Glee
Genre: 2020, A little angst, Australian Setting, Fluff, Klaine Advent 2020, M/M, background quinntina
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:41:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27871717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgxoxus/pseuds/gorgxoxus
Summary: It is summer 2020 and Blaine has been stuck in Western Australia since March when the covid pandemic hit. Kurt has started working the cash register of the kiosk on the beach Blaine visits every day. What will happen in the 24 days leading up to Christmas?
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel
Comments: 31
Kudos: 13
Collections: Klaine Advent 2020





	1. Day 1: abashed (ashamed, embarrassed or disconcerted)

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I've posted for the Glee/Klaine fandom. I have no idea how to do titles and summaries so they may change throughout the month. 
> 
> This is a Christmas summer romp and I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> I'm posting this here in the hopes I complete the whole advent.

Blaine decided after graduating college a semester early in 2019, to go travelling to Australia and visit as much as he could. He got to Perth, Western Australia with his friends Quinn, Tina, Elliott and Sam when the pandemic hit and decided to stay in Australia. Sam and Elliott decided to go home and Quinn and Tina decided to stay. A few months extra of Australian summer and spring is better than going home. After ending a previous college fling, he doesn’t feel like anything is waiting for him at home. 

It’s now late November 2020 and he’s still here with Quinn and Tina. A few months more turned into the rest of the year. Cases are still rising at home, so he is just enjoying being in Western Australia. It is warm, Covid cases are almost non-existent here and he does not have a big urge to get back. He is content with the coastal life right now.

He rises early on December 1st, knowing that the temperatures are going to be nearing 110, or what Australians call 42 degrees. He still gets confused about Celsius temperatures after being here a year. He is used to snow in winter, but this one of the many new experiences he’s had this year. 

He leaves the apartment with Quinn carrying their towels down the path towards the ocean. The water is refreshing and afterwards he heads to the kiosk, a new word he learnt this year.  
There’s a new guy manning the register who does not like he should be outside on a 110-degree day. With his pale skin, his long sleeve shirt and styled hair do, he looks like he should be the one in New York this December. His name tag reads Kurt so when serving him thanks him, and when he says his name he leans forward a bit. He cannot tell if Kurt is blushing with his already warm cheeks. He ducks out with his drink and almost forgets that Quinn was waiting behind him about to order a green juice.  
She teases him the whole walk back, and he worries if should be feeling ashamed about his blatant flirting on Kurt. All he knows is that his December has been brightened up.


	2. Day 2: brake: (to slow or stop)

Blaine feels like everything has come to a screeching halt this year. With the pandemic and being away from home, he can’t start auditioning for off-Broadway roles, or play in the band that Elliott, Sam and himself were a part of during his college days. With Broadway shut down, Covid cases continuing to climb at home he has started to accept a new normal, whatever that looks like. 

He may not be able to do anything about the state of the world and his career, but he can do something about his love life. So, he walks with a purpose down to the beach the next morning and heads to the kiosk after a quick swim. 

He has a conversation with Kurt and finds out his family owns the kiosk and usually his brother mans the register. When Blaine compliments his styled hair and good looks Kurt’s blush goes down to his neck. 

Kurt also gives him a wink when Blaine picks up his coffee, which gives Blaine all the proof he needs that his flirtations are appreciated and not misguided. Also, that his number is written on the side of the coffee cup. 

He hangs around the kiosk all morning, enjoying the shade, the comfy chairs and the chance to watch Kurt work. 

He’s in no rush.


	3. Day 3: careless: (not paying enough attention to what one does)

Snippet from Kurt and Blaine’s messages the night of December 2nd: 

Kurt: I noticed you have an American accent, I was wondering why you are in Australia in the middle of a pandemic? If that’s not too nosy  
Blaine: it’s okay  
Blaine: i was travelling around Australia after graduating college and ended up staying  
Blaine: didn’t think it would be for the whole year  
Blaine: but it’s good here  
Blaine: better than I thought  
Blaine: there are worst places to be stuck this year  
Blaine: now can I be nosy what do you do when you are not working at beachside kiosks?  
Kurt: I just finished my last semester at WAAPA a few weeks ago.  
Blaine: congrats on finishing  
Blaine: what’s WAAPA?  
Kurt: Oh, sorry, I forgot that would mean nothing to you. WAAPA stands for Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. I studied set and costume design. I know you’re American and a graduate, that doesn’t narrow it down though. Where did you study? What did you study?  
Blaine: i did theatre through TISCH at NYU  
Kurt: Congrats on finishing too then. I actually usually spend my summers in New York doing set designs for plays. This is my first summer working the kiosk since I graduated school  
Blaine: crazy we met here then  
Blaine: what an opportunity  
Blaine: how did you land that  
Kurt: Small world. I know some people….

December 3rd:

Blaine wakes up late after taking to Kurt all night. He lazes around for half an hour, grabs a muesli bar and gets out of the apartment at 10am. The sun is high in the sky, the weather has dropped off a little bit since the 1st but is still a warm summer day. He takes off his shirt as he walks towards the beach, enjoying the fact he can walk around in his board shorts and flip flops.

He’s not in the rush he was yesterday to talk to Kurt so he decides to have a longer swim. Once out of the water he finds Quinn and Tina sun-bathing so joins them. He lets them know about his night texting with Kurt and they discuss recent shows they have been binging. Tina and Quinn go on about this new Netflix show Julie and the Phantoms they have been watching before going to sleep at night and Blaine drifts in and out of the conversation as he enjoys the salty air. 

When he enters the kiosk he sees Kurt sitting at one of the tables indoors so makes a beeline to him. Kurt gives him a little wave and greets him when Blaine sits opposite. Kurt eyes him and then makes a comment that Blaine is shirtless with a blush creeping down his neck. Then Kurt’s expression turns sour and starts berating Blaine’s sunburn. He quickly realises that he did not put sunscreen on this morning looks down at his red arms. Kurt berates him for being careless and reminding him there is always sunscreen at the kiosk, so there is no reason to forget. Blaine eyes at him curiously and comments that burn always turns into a tan for him. That sets Kurt off on another rant. Blaine does notice Kurt’s giving the rant to his chest and the crinkles in his eyes so not all is lost. 

When Kurt grabs him some aloe vela from behind the counter Blaine gets the idea to try to get Kurt to put some on his back. He wants to touch his attractive crush so as Kurt babbles about the soothing properties of aloe he waits for a pause in it to ask. Kurt grumbles a little bit but less angrily than when he was berating him for getting burnt. As he stares into Kurt’s eyes they betray some amusement. 

They at the back side of the kiosk, where Kurt directs them to a pool chair in the shade. He’s glad for the slightest bit of privacy in the middle of a busy beach. Blaine had already put the aloe on his arms and stomach inside so Kurt’s only doing his back. Blaine lays down and Kurt straddles him. As Kurt moves around a bit on top of him to get comfy Blaine’s nerve endings are set off. He doesn’t know how he will survive with Kurt’s hands on his back. 

Blaine thinks he should be careless more often if this is the result.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading.
> 
> Do you have any questions? I'm writing about a place I know so I may miss things that need to be described etc.


	4. Day 4: dispensable (not necessary)

7:30am 4th of December:  
Kurt: I am down at the beach and my Dad is working the kiosk. You can join us if you want. (unread)

When Blaine walks into the kiosk the next morning, Kurt is nowhere to be seen but a stocky man with a baseball cap is behind the register. He assumes from what Kurt has told him over the last few days this is his father. There is no one waiting in line so he walks up to the counter and asks for an iced coffee and gives his name. Then in a breath asks if he is Mr Hummel. Mr Hummel looks at him and asks Blaine to call him Burt – that formality is not necessary. When Mr Hummel, Burt, gives him his coffee he lets him know that Kurt is down the beach giving him a knowing look. It seems that Burt knows exactly who he is. 

Blaine takes his coffee and walks the short distance to the beach, enjoying the calm of the beachfront at 8am on a weekday. He finds Kurt under an umbrella to the left of the entrance with the guy who usually works at the kiosk and a girl around their age. When he joins Kurt introduces him to his brother Finn, who Blaine knows as the extremely tall dude from the kiosk and Rachel, who’s Finn’s girlfriend. 

Rachel gives him the third degree and between answering questions sneaks a glance to Kurt, hoping he looks less annoyed than he feels towards this tiny girl. Blaine diligently answers questions about where he’s from and what he’s doing here and then Rachel asks what his intentions with Kurt are. Blaine stumbles over his answer, as he only met Kurt three days ago. Kurt helps reign Rachel in after that and they quieten down. 

Kurt is wearing a shirt under the umbrella and Blaine teases him. Kurt then nudges him and asks how his burns are doing. Blaine had put sunscreen on already this morning so he’s ditched his top now that he is not the centre of attention. He now wants to see if he can get Kurt to take his top off now that he’s already down the beach and not working.   
Blaine decides to incessantly tease him until it has the desired effect.   
Kurt does end up taking his top off and going for a quick swim 

Snippet from Kurt and Blaines text conversation the night of the 4th:  
Blaine: was the teasing ok with you today  
Blaine: i want to know what’s comfortable for you  
Kurt: Blaine it’s ok, it was nice talking with you more today. I do like swimming, I just need to take care of my pale skin.   
Blaine: you are pale  
Blaine: and beautiful…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this prompt was hard.  
> thanks for reading!


	5. Day 5: event (something that occurs in a certain place during a particular interval of time)

Snippet from Kurt and Blaines text conversations during the 5th: 

Kurt: I will be busy today preparing for ‘Carols by Candlelight’  
Blaine: oh, I have seen signs for that around  
Blaine: what exactly is it  
Kurt: It’s pretty much what is says in the name, a carols service (so expect Christian music) where they give out fake candles. I’ve missed it the last few years but it’s personally one of the highlights of the Christmas season. I love the community around here and we all come together for the event. If you’ve seen signage around you will probably know this, but it’s at 6pm tomorrow at the amphitheatre. We organise the food every year so I’m baking cookies all day.   
Blaine: not sure about the christian music, but food has sold me, especially food made by you.  
Blaine: do you need any help setting up  
Kurt: It’s ok. I need to go and bake so you are not disappointed by the lack of cookies. See you tomorrow.   
Blaine: see you then 

He walks into the living area to find Quinn and Tina at their rickety dining table playing cards. He joins them and while they deal a new hand Quinn asks why he’s not with Kurt today. He lets them know Kurt is helping with his family pull together food items for the carols tomorrow. He asks them if they are going to the carols and they quickly say yes and focus on their cards. They spend the morning playing cards and the afternoon lazing around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Carols by Candlelight an Australian thing, let me know?  
> An amphitheatre is an open air place where performances happen. The one in my fic is small, rounded, made of concrete and faces the ocean. The stage is made of sand.   
> I would assume that Blaine, Tina and Quinn got their table from roadside collection - when people dump their old property (from chairs to tvs and fridges) and other people can pick it up - it's very popular in on the coast specifically. 
> 
> In my head Blaine, Tina and Quinn are now relying on their (well-off) parents to survive being overseas, but saved up their own money for what was originally a shorter trip.


	6. Day 6: farm (to cultivate the soil)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ran away from me so it's a long one. Not all of them are going to be this length but that's the issue with an unplanned fic!

Kurt lets him know the kiosk is closed today because the family is preparing for the carols tonight so he heads straight down to the beach for a swim. The beach is busy with teenagers who have finished school for the year so he heads straight for the water and has a quick dip. He quickly dries himself off, puts his shirt back on and heads for the café on the corner. He still needs his coffee fix even if he can’t get it from the kiosk. 

When he gets back Quinn and Tina remind him they’re heading to the farmers market in half an hour so he has a shower, puts a tiny bit of product in his hair and gets changed. Once he’s dressed he goes into the living room and asks, “Are you girls ready yet?”  
“A couple more minutes,” shouts Tina,   
He checks his messages and finds a couple from his parents when Quinn and Tina open their bedroom door and they walk towards the beachfront path that heads to the next suburb.   
Blaine asks, “what are we planning on getting,” and Quinn lists all the veggies they want and Tina budges in with,  
“I need a souvlaki,” Blaine agrees, half the reason they go to this farmers market is the top-notch souvlakis. The other half of the reason is that it has cheap produce. He also goes for the best bread he’s ever had. If he moves away from here he will miss the amazing white sourdough he buys every week. 

There is remains of keep 1.5 metres apart signs in the farmers markets but no one is following them anymore after months and months of no cases. They buy their souvlaki’s first, Blaine getting beef and Quinn and Tina sharing a chicken one, because as much as Tina loves them she cannot eat a whole one. Quinn asks to find a seat and they eat them before going in search of the best bread and produce.   
Quinn gets up and says, “go find the bread you love, we’ll get some vegetables,” with a knowing smile. He is unsurprised she knows him so well and heads to the sourdough booth. He gets the bread and heads to the produce section near the back to see them still looking for what they want. They are holding hands and talking between themselves so he waits back and looks at some pumpkins while they grab their produce and go up to the register. He joins them there with a small “Hi”. Once everything is packed into their cloth bags they head back to the apartment. 

4pm:  
Kurt: if you are not busy I could do with some help with set up. We are at the amphitheatre.  
Blaine: i’m not busy.   
Blaine: i’ll walk down  
Blaine: see you in 15 mins.

Blaine peaks his head into Tina and Quinn’s room and says, “I’m going down to the beach to help Kurt with carols set up” and Quinn responds with, “Ok, we will message when we get there.”

He heads down the steps of the amphitheatre and sees Kurt, Burt, Finn and about thirty others around, some looking busier than others. When he gets to the bottom Kurt comes up and says, “thanks for coming,”   
“No worries”.   
Kurt asks him to help Finn grab another speaker from the caravan around the corner as one is not working. Finn leads him to the caravan and they find the speaker in question and when Finn picks it up he nearly drops it.   
“Kurt sent you too because I cannot be trusted holding important things,” Fin says with a laugh so Blaine grabs the other side of the speaker and leads them back towards the top of the steps. Someone quickly walks up to them and takes the speaker off them so they head back down the stairs.   
“Mate, do you have a Santa hat?” Finn asks and Blaine looks at him and says,   
“No?”   
“Kurt your boyfriend doesn’t have a Santa hat,” shouts Finn in Kurt’s direction,   
“He’s not my boyfriend,” says Kurt shooting Finn a dirty look and coming up to them.   
“Why do you talk about him all the time then?” asks Finn and then if Kurt wasn’t already completely red in the face he is now.   
Blaine looks at Kurt and says, “you talk about me all the time?” and Kurt gives him a look that is much kinder than the one he gave his brother.   
Kurt then jumps into action and says, “Blaine come with me, I need someone to help me move the food from the kiosk.” He can hear Finn quietly saying ‘I was trying to help’ as Kurt leads him towards the building. 

Kurt grabs the key from his pocket and opens up the back door of the kiosk into the mini kitchen, that is mostly just a bench and fridge. Kurt seems pretty intent on ignoring his brothers comments and gets him to take some plastic wrapped sandwiches back over as Kurt organises the rest of the food.   
Blaine finds Burt and he lets him know where the sandwiches go. He heads back to the kiosk.   
When he gets back Kurt has got all the food out and they walk back together carrying cookies, cakes and chips. Kurt does an extra trip back to the kiosk for a few more items and locks it up and Finn comes up to Blaine and gives him a Santa hat and shifts his feet as he apologises for his comments earlier. Blaine reminds him he should really apologise to Kurt and watches as people start arriving and grabbing their seats. 

When Kurt comes back he asks if there is something other than small sandwiches for dinner and Kurt walks over to a cooler to grab two containers and some forks.   
“Would you like a chicken salad?”   
Blaine nods his head and takes one of the containers and a fork from Kurt as he quickly asks his father, “Do you need any help from us?”   
“No, we are going to save some seats so meet us back here in half an hour,” Burt replies.   
Kurt turns to Blaine and asks, “Do you want to sit on the grass over here to eat?”   
signalling to the area looking over the beachfront and Blaine replies, “Yes.”

They get seated and open their containers. Blaine asks about the set up and Kurt goes on about speakers, the fake Santa Claus they blew up, the singers and the food. He has a light in his eyes talking about the preparations Blaine hasn’t seen yet and makes him happy to witness.   
“I haven’t been to Carols by Candlelight in five years, I feel like I am a kid doing all this again,” Kurt says, taking a breath and Blaine says,  
“I’ve been to carols before, but this one seems a lot more fun than the old stuffy church carol services I went to as a kid,”  
“I am not a fan of Church services, but I am happy to sing some Christian songs to experience the joy of Carols by Candlelight.”  
They lull into a silence to focus on eating. 

When they are finished they still have about ten minutes until Burt wanted them back so Blaine says, “It’s cute that you talk about me all the time,” he watches him blush as Kurt says, “you made an impression,”   
“I’m glad I did and so did you,” and catches Kurt’s eyes on him, looking back. The air crackles between them and Blaine scoots forward a bit, so he’s much closer to Kurt than before. Kurt puts a hand on his cheek and they continue to look at each other and then Kurt leans in and captures his mouth in a kiss. It’s a little off-centre so Blaine corrects it and just kisses him until he runs out of breath. Blaine drops his head for a second and then looks up to see Kurt staring at him. He quickly looks to the side to see Burt walking towards them so he scrambles out of his lap into a less compromising position. Kurt is intent on ignoring his Dad as they walk to the amphitheatre together and take their seats next to each other. They sit brushing their hands against each-others until Blaine grabs onto Kurt’s and doesn’t let go. 

To Tina and Quinn at 5:35pm:  
Blaine: sitting with kurts family  
Blaine: also kurt kissed me  
Quinn: WHOOP WHOOP  
Quinn: Tina says YESSSSSSSS  
Tina: YESSSSSSSSSS  
Quinn: also we are 5 minutes away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The farmers market referenced here does not exist in this place. The farmers market I am picturing is the one in the city I live in now, which is not the city this fic is set in. 
> 
> Also Carols by Candlelight is a huge event in real life in this exact spot.   
> Like Kurt I haven't gone in 4 years so after doing some research I realised this it is bigger than I remembered (with fireworks which I did not reference here).  
> The kiosk is not a benefactor in the Carols, so that's just for story purposes. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	7. Day 7: grey (colour)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops I missed yesterday, I was not feeling up for writing and then made bad sleep decisions.   
> But I have a plan for this fic finally so yay.   
> Enjoy this short and sweet scene, things will pick up tomorrow.

When he woke up to the sun starting seeping light into his room at 5am, he couldn’t fall back asleep. He quickly got changed, put on a grey jumper and walked down to the kiosk. He didn’t even check with Kurt to see if he was there, just hoped that he was. When he walks in there is a tired looking Kurt behind the counter and no one else in the store. He looks up and gives Blaine a toothy grin when he sees him. When he gets to the counter Kurt quickly pecks his lips, and before Kurt can move away he takes hold of his neck and deepens the kiss. When they need to come up for breath Kurt breathlessly says, “hi,”  
“Good morning” he says, leaning his hip on the counter,  
“you’re here early,”  
“couldn’t sleep,”   
Kurt looks concerned so he quickly says,  
“Oh, nothing bad, just feeling excited today, can’t think of any reason why,”  
“Really.” Kurt’s pretty much smirking now.   
Someone enters the kiosk and Blaine stands up straight. Kurt makes a coffee and the customer heads out. Blaine asks for a cappuccino, as it is too cool for an iced coffee.   
Blaine takes the coffee from him and Kurt pipes up,  
“Are you planning on going to the sunset markets tomorrow?”  
“Yes, I’ve been going every week recently,”  
“Do you want to come with me tomorrow?” and a beat later, “as a date?”  
“Of course.” Kurt gives him a very controlled smile, as if he’s trying not to break into a huge grin. Blaine gives him a kiss on the cheek,  
“I’m going to check out the rest of the sunrise, message me later,”   
“Will do,” Blaine looks over his shoulder when he exits the kiosk at Kurt’s toothy smile and looks forward to a Christmas season with his friends, the beach and someone as amazing as Kurt.


	8. Day 8: history (past events and times)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a small discussion of violence in this chapter. Nothing happens in the fic and there is no details, but it is mentioned in the opening scene.   
> If you don't want to read the scene I'll put a summary at the end (it is important to read either the scene or the summary).

Blaine, Quinn and Tina are sitting at the rickety dining room table. Quinn and Tina have called a house meeting and Blaine is still in the dark about what it’s about.   
Quinn starts off with, “Have you seen the news that they opened the borders between Western Australia and New South Wales and Victoria today?”  
Blaine did know that,  
“Tina and I haven’t put any plans in place yet but we are planning on heading over to Victoria and exploring Australia again now that the country has opened up,”   
Tina is nodding,  
“We wanted to talk to you about it because we have a few dates in mind for when we can leave,”  
Blaine puts his elbows on the table which makes it wobble violently, “Why would you assume I’d come.”   
He quickly realises that’s not exactly what he wanted to say.   
“I just mean, I have Kurt and I have grown to love this little city over the last few months.” He doesn’t have Kurt yet, but he wants to. He doesn’t want to leave yet, especially not now when things are looking good for the first time in a long time.  
Tina looks at Quinn and then says, “We haven’t bought this up yet, but we don’t love it here.” Quinn adds,  
“We are finding it hard to feel safe being physically out here,”  
“Quinn and I want the anonymity that comes from a big city like Sydney or Melbourne.”  
Blaine is shocked, he didn’t know what they have been dealing with. He is aware of some fighting that has occurred on the beachfront at night since the bars and clubs have opened with the ease of Covid restrictions.   
“I’m sorry you both have been dealing with this silently,” Blaine says quietly, he feels he has to say something.   
Quinn replies, “Honestly it’s been one or two incidents,” she looks at Tina and grabs her hand, “it’s just hard to take a risk every time we go out without you.” Blaine’s just trying to soak it in, because this changes things.   
The conversation continues and when it ends Blaine knows Quinn and Tina are certain about leaving Perth and heading across the country for a new adventure. Blaine needs to choose between leaving the beach and Kurt or leaving his friends who he has a long history with. 

12pm:  
Kurt: I heard you are walking distance from the beach?  
Blaine: i am  
Kurt: Could I park my car in your driveway and we can walk down to the markets together?  
Blaine: of course you can.  
Blaine: there’s visitor spots at this apartment complex  
Kurt: What’s your address?  
Blaine: (address)  
Kurt: I’ll see you at 6pm!  
Blaine: looking forward to it

He’s been frantically running around the apartment for the last few hours. He can’t do much about the barren state of it, or that all the furniture is second-hand. He does sweep, wipe down the kitchen and wash the dishes before getting ready. He knows he doesn’t have anything date worthy in his wardrobe, mostly just old shirts, khaki’s and board shorts so he decides on his full-length khaki’s and the only polo he bought with him. 

The doorbell goes off so Blaine attempts to walk at a normal speed to the front door. He takes a deep breath and opens it to Kurt and all the breath that he put into his lungs leaves when he sees him. Kurt’s wearing black skin-tight jeans, a white top and lightweight grey and blue striped jacket and Blaine feels even more underdressed.   
“Hi, come in you look great I’m excited about tonight I love the markets but it’ll be better with you,” Blaine says all in one breath.  
“Hi, hi, are you good?”  
“oh, sorry I’m babbling, do you want a quick tour,”  
“of course.”   
Blaine shows him the kitchen, dining and living area and the bedrooms and mentions,   
“I live with two friends, Quinn and Tina, but they’ve already left for the markets,” deep breath,   
“Hopefully you can meet them there.”

Blaine and Kurt talk about their favourite shows, that then goes into a discussion about favourite childhood shows. They don’t understand each other’s favourite childhood shows so they have fun explaining them to each other. Blaine is letting the conversation focus on the mundane things when he’s still trying to decide between staying in Western Australia or going across the country. Unfortunately for him, neither decision results in getting everything he wants this Christmas season. 

When he’s down at the markets he has plenty to distract him, between food, conversations with Kurt, holding his hand ‘so they don’t get lost in the crowds’. They run into Finn and Rachel and then Quinn and Tina join them so they all get introduced to each other. Once all of Kurt’s and his friends are around their one on one date gets derailed. Once Burt and his wife Carole find them as well it truly becomes a lost cause. 

When it’s 8pm Blaine looks at Kurt and asks, “do you want to go down to the beach for a few minutes?”   
“Yes.”  
They walk along the sand holding hands and enjoying the quiet sounds of the ocean.   
“I’m sorry our date got bombarded,” Blaine chuckles and replies,  
“It wasn’t so bad, it was nice to meet your step-mom,”  
“You’re right, Quinn and Tina seem like such great friends to have with you this year.” Blaine knows it’s probably the right time to bring up Quinn and Tina planning on leaving soon, but he doesn’t want to talk about it yet.   
Instead he kisses Kurt, letting his tongue run along his bottom lip until Kurt opens his mouth. 

He thinks making out with a hot guy is a good way to avoid his problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First scene summary:  
> Quinn and Tina are planning on leaving Western Australia for the state of Victoria soon, as (in real life too) the borders opened between WA Victoria and New South Wales (another state). Their reasoning is that they feel unsafe in this beachfront/city.   
> ***  
> So the borders opened between WA and the two states that have had active case numbers since June on Tuesday, so it's time for Blaine to make a choice.   
> ***  
> TW violence/ violence against women:
> 
> Quinn and Tina's reasoning is based kind of on facts. This beachfront has always been a little to a lot unsafe, with numerous bars and problems with drunkenness. It has especially become even more unsafe over the last few years with increasing numbers of fighting happening at the coastal clubs. I witnessed some intense girl fighting last year and a friend's cousins came to their Christmas day lunch with black eyes after going to a club on Xmas Eve. I love Perth/ this beachfront with all my heart but I also would not walk alone at night there at all. (Whereas I'm comfortable doing that in other places).


	9. Day 9: inconclusive (not resolving full all doubts or questions)

He looks up to the clear skies when he leaves the apartment in the morning. He looks at the flowers that are growing in front gardens, the people around and soaks in the warmth already in the air at 8am. 

Walking down the path he sees the ocean come into view. That feeling he gets when he sees the ocean is one of the favourite things he’s experienced this year. When he hits the sand, he pays attention to the feeling between his toes, the sound of the waves breaking on the shore and the seagulls. He ends up sitting on a towel before swimming, soaking up sun rays and the salty ocean air. He leisurely swims, ducking under waves, only getting out when he has wrinkly finger pads. 

Kurt is not at the kiosk today so he orders his iced coffee from Finn. As he heads out he decides to walk along the beach-front path to the next suburb. Once he’s at the next beach he leans his hands against the fence. He watches the surfers and wind-surfers. 

When he gets back to the apartment Quinn and Tina are laying on the couch. Quinn messaged the house group chat when he was walking but he ignored it. They wanted to know if he has made up his mind, also that they are planning on leaving on the 17th of December.   
Quinn sits up straighter when Blaine turns to them,   
“Have you made up your mind yet?”  
Blaine answers,  
“Not yet,” giving them the most apologetic look he can muster. 

When he’s back on his bed he decides he needs to talk to someone about this.   
He opens Facebook messenger and finds Elliott online.   
Blaine: hey are you available to talk  
Elliott: Hi Blaine, how’s Australia?  
Blaine: its good  
Blaine: i need some advice  
Elliott: About what?  
Blaine: so i met a guy called kurt recently and we really get on  
Blaine: he’s really fun to be around and very attractive   
Elliott: That sounds great, man. Good for you  
Blaine: ok but there is a bit of a spanner in the works  
Blaine: q and t want to go to victoria in a week  
Blaine: they want me to come with them of course  
Blaine: but i can’t decide between leaving a potential boyfriend and a beach i love  
Blaine: or travelling with my friends again  
Elliott: What a decision to make.   
Elliott: Have you talked to Kurt yet about all this?  
Blaine: no  
Elliott: Do that first   
Elliott: If you think this guy is worth staying back for talk to him.  
Blaine: i know i need to talk to him  
Elliott: Then do it  
Elliott: And good luck  
Elliott: Keep me updated!  
Blaine: Will do  
Blaine: Thanks  
Elliott: Do you want to hear about my zoom date fail?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be Kurt/ Klaine tomorrow hahahah.


	10. Day 10: join (bring people together)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the 5 day wait. I had big writers block on this chapter and had a busy weekend.  
> I have now mostly planned the rest of this fic so I'm excited.  
> Hope you enjoy.

Quinn and Tina are in the kitchen eating breakfast when he walks in,  
“Hey Blaine,” says Tina,  
“Hi Tina,”  
“How did you sleep?” asks Quinn,  
“Alright, once I fell asleep I was ok,”  
He can see Tina and Quinn exchanged looks so he adds,  
“I haven’t made my mind up yet, I’ll let you know when I do,”  
Quinn then says,  
“We are booking flights tonight so deciding today is ideal,”  
Blaine says “I might need more time,” so Tina adds,  
“You can come on a later flight if this one’s booked out,” Quinn adds,  
“We’re booking tonight because we think flights are going to sell out fast.  
Blaine says ok and changes the topic. 

Kurt is behind the counter at the kiosk so while waiting for his coffee he asks,  
“When do you finish working here today,”  
“3pm? Kurt turns that statement into more of a question,  
“Would you like to join me at Sandbar for dinner tonight, 6pm?”  
“Of course, It’s a date,”  
Blaine repeats, “it’s a date.”  
When they share little smiles he is reminded why his decision is so hard. 

He has no plans for the rest of the day so he plays phone games, scrolls on social media and messages with Sam. After Sam goes to sleep with the rest of the United States he searches up some of his recent YouTube videos and thoroughly enjoys listening to his old friend sing and play around. 

An hour before he has to meet Kurt at the restaurant he styles his hair and chooses his nicest top and khaki pants as his outfit. He will need more date outfits if he stays at the beachfront. 

His hands are shaking as he walks towards the restaurant. He takes a deep breath and walks in to find Kurt sitting at one of the tables overlooking the ocean. They exchange pleasantries and as they order and eat they talk about their pasts and passions, enjoying the casual atmosphere of what feels more like a first date. When Blaine pays for the dinner he pipes up with,  
“Do you want to go for a walk?”  
Kurt smiles and nods. 

He’s thinking of how to bring up potentially leaving when snapping fingers break him out of his resolve.  
“I’ve been trying to get your attention for minutes,”  
Blaine looks at him, still a little out of it,  
“Where were you? You were miles away?”  
“Oh sorry” and before Kurt can get another word in he says,  
“I actually need to talk to you about something.”  
Blaine knows that’s never the words someone wants their crush or partner to say so he adds,  
“It’s not as bad as it sounds.” That’s not what he meant to say either, but Kurt looks relieved 

He lets Kurt know his problem objectively, but adds,  
“I really like you so I just wanted you to know.” Kurt gives him a little half smile then asks,  
“What are you going to do?”  
“I don’t know,”  
“Ok, what do you want to do?”  
“Have a Christmas season with my friends and you,” Blaine means that sincerely,  
“I’m sorry you have to choose, if that’s any consolation,” Kurt replies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Sandbar is a resturant that exists where this fic is set. It's laid back but not fast food, so a good place for a first date. (That is not vetted by me lol).


	11. Day 11: knit (to unite)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my good friend Jeanne (kuiinncedes on tumblr). My og swiftie gal. 
> 
> On the 11th of December Taylor Swift dropped her 9th album so this chap has a focus on that - with a few other things.

7:30pm 10th of December:   
Tina: We’ve booked our flights!  
Tina: attached link to flight details

11th of December:

It’s 6am when Blaine wakes up to a very loud sound. He shoots up from bed and out of his room. He notices the sound is coming from Quinn and Tina’s room. When the shouting turns into cackling he stands in front of their closed door and asks,  
“Is everything ok in there?”  
“BLAINE, BLAINE, TAYLOR SWIFT IS GOING TO DROP A NEW ALBUM TODAY!” says either one of them,   
“What?”  
Quinn says slowly, “Taylor Swift is going to drop a new album today,” he realises their safe and walks into their room. 

He likes Taylor Swift and has always enjoyed playing around with her songs on guitar and piano. She doesn’t mean as much to him as Katy Perry, but he’s always been impartial to pop music and female artists. 

Sitting at the end of their bed he asks,   
“What time is it coming out,”  
“1pm for us,” supplies Tina,  
“What’s it called,”  
They both reply at almost the exact time,   
“evermore,” he says, more to himself,  
“That’s a beautiful album name.” They spend the next hour in bed talking about Taylor, what they’ve all been up to recently. No mention of leaving. Blaine’s glad for new Taylor music, but mostly he’s glad to have the easiness back with his friends after the strain of the last few days. 

They all head down the beach, taking up the whole path. The sun is beating down on him and they all chat together as they walk.

They lay down on towels on the sand, with Quinn and Tina reading their books and Blaine resting his eyes. After an hour they go for a swim, playing around, ducking under waves and getting out when a big set comes in. 

Burt is behind the kiosk counter,   
“Hey Burt,”  
“Hey Blaine, Quinn and Tina, nice to see you guys, what do you want to order?”  
Quinn and Tina order juices and Blaine orders iced coffee. When Burt makes coffee Blaine stands next to him and asks,  
“How is Kurt today? I haven’t heard from him yet,”   
Burt replies, “He seems ok, I think your news threw him a bit,” Blaine starts to move to a defensive position so Burt quickly adds,  
“It’s not your fault,” and after a second adds, “I’m glad you told him, keeping him in the know is smart,” Blaine lets him know about his friends advice and Burt replies,  
“He’s a smart man.”

When Burt hands over the coffee and juices he says to the three of them,  
“We are having a barbeque on Monday. You’re all invited.” Blaine replies,  
“I’ll check with Kurt first, but thank you.” Quinn and Tina also add their thanks. 

When he’s back at the apartment he sends a message off to Kurt about his Dad’s invitation. He sees five unread messages from Sam so he switches over. 

8:05am:  
Sam: Are you awake???  
Sam: Did you see Taylor Swift’s announcement?  
Sam: A whole new album!!!!!!!!!  
Sam: OK THERE IS A SONG CALLED cowboy like me!!!!!!!!!  
Sam: WAKE UP AND GET EXCITED WITH ME  
Blaine: hello  
Blaine: i am awake  
Blaine: i actually got woken up by q and t screaming about it at 6am  
Blaine: cowboy like me does sound like the perfect song for you  
Sam: I am ready  
Sam: how can I speed up time?  
Blaine: its only 3 hours now  
Sam: In other news, how’s the Kurt stuff going?  
Blaine: i still havent heard back from him   
Blaine: since the date last night…

When the album drops he lays on his bed, turns on the album and listens. With all the romantic songs he ends up just thinking about Kurt. Taylor sings about love, forever and heartbreak and he thinks about falling in love with Kurt and being with him forever. It does cross his mind that it’s a little early to know these things, but laying there soaking up the album he does want it. It’s not something he thought he would find when he came to Australia, and part of him wants to go with the flow and leave. He thinks it might be time to listen to his heart. 

He calls Kurt, but he doesn’t pick up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
